Plan(95KB)
of location of gravestones in Tovil
Anabaptist Burial Ground

The following record of the burial ground
inscriptions are the result of combining information from:

i) ‘The Tombs Register of the Ancient Burial Ground at Tovil’
– an anonymous list of names, dates of death and
ages produced about 1870, apparently accurate but obviously not including the
few burial details after that date;

ii) a survey undertaken by M.C. Thomsett in 1979, but he was clearly unaware of
the 1870 Tombs Register with
its dates and ages and his survey contains some inaccuracies and omissions;

iii) a less than complete survey undertaken by pupils from Oldborough Manor
School in 1992;

iv) a survey undertaken by me in June/July 2010.

The inscriptions as here transcribed are probably as accurate as can now be
produced, given that many of the stones have been weathered so that the
lettering is no longer easy to read, and in some cases is illegible or has
vanished. The numbers refer to the graves as they are numbered on the plan. The
square brackets indicate illegible or missing portions of the inscriptions and
stones, and obliques indicate ends of lines.Roger Thornburgh, 2010

1. In memory of / John BALLARD / who
departed this life Septr 25th 1815. / Aged 35 years / Also
of / Phoebe Ballard / Wife of the above who departed this Life / May the 5th
1852 Aged 72 years. / Also Elizth Ballard Daughter of / the above who died Febry
25th 1815. / Aged 19 months / Left Issue Four Sons (viz) John.
Henry./ Charles. & William./ Also William Son of the above who died / Septr
24th 1822 Aged 11 years & 5 Months. / Also Charles third
Son of the above / who died Novr 15th 1839. Aged 30 Years.
/ Also John. Son of the above / who died July 10th 1863. / Aged 58
years

2. In memory of / Rebecca PINE widow of / John Pine of Tovil and
only child / of Christopher CARBERRY and / Rebecca his wife, / who died October
the 2nd 1865 / aged 92 years / also in memory of / Rebecca Pine, / second
daughter of the above named / who died 15th June 1892, / aged 89 years.

2a. R.P. 1865

3. In / Memory of / Robert only Son / of Willm & Mary
GROSVENOR / of St Michael’s Parish, Cornhill, London, who died Oct 9th
1776. / Aged 7 years / Also of Lydia GEORGE / Born May 19th (OS) 1748
/ Died May 13th1834 / Aged 86 Years

4. In memory / of / Thomas PINE / of Maidstone / who died June 17th
1857, / aged 83 years. / Also of / Ann, his wife,/ who died January 6th 1857, / aged 83 years.

4a. T.P. 1857. A.P.1857

5. (Left hand panel) Here / Lies [the] / body
[of] / Jane [ GRIGSON ] / daugh[ter of] / Benjam[in Grigson and] / Con[stance
.........................] / (Lines 8 – 11 illegible) /
Daughter of Benjn / Grigson & Constance / [his] wife departd / this life ye
2 of may / 1712 aged 3 years / and 6 months / John Grigson son / of Benjamin /
Grigson and Constance / his wife departed / this life ye 24th
of / March 1712
(The 1870 list gives Jane’s death, in infancy, as being 1707. The name of
Eliza must have been in the lines on this stone which are now illegible as she
appears in the 1870 list as having died in 1712 at the age of 3˝.)
(Right hand panel virtually gone)

7. (Top of table tomb) Here / [Li]eth the Remains
[of] / [W]illiam [Son of] / [Thomas?] and Hannah [ PINE] / who died Febry
21st 18[49] / Aged 6[4] Years / Also Elizabeth Wife of the above /
William Pine / who died July [ .. ] 18[53] / Aged 65 Years / Also Rose Pine /
who died Feby [ .. ] 1855 / Aged 73 Years / Also Mary Pine / who died
Feby 23rd 1855 / Aged 75 Years
(West face: not properly checked as it is difficult to read without helpful
lighting.) John son of Tho and Mary PINE died March 15th
1810 aged 31 Years. Also Tho son of Tho & Hanna Pine who died Octr
5th 1852 Aged 75 Years. Also Sarah Wife of the above Tho Pine who
died Jan 23rd1863 Aged 77 Years . Charles Arthur Scott Pine died Octr
22nd 1861 Aged 10 weeks. William Rose Pine died Novr [ ...
] 1863 Aged 17 Years.

8. In Memory of / Elizabeth Wife of Simon PINE / who departed this
Life 19thDay / of September 1782 Aged 6[8] Years. / Also to the
Memory of the above / Simon PINE who departed this / Life the 25th
Feby [1789 aged 75]

10. In A Vault / in Front of this Stone /are deposited the Remains /
of Mrs Mary HAWKINS Wife of Mr George Hawkins / (of
Gabriel Hill Maidstone) / who departed this Life Decr 28th
1812 / Aged 39 Years. / Also of Sophia their Daughter / Aged 8 Years. / Samuel
Reader & Ebenezer 2 sons / who died in their Infancy.

11. Here lyeth the / body of Alexander BASSUCK / freemason who
departed / this life 10 of June 1702 / aged 83 years / Think nothing strong /
death will arrest ye all / my lot today tomorrow / Thine may fall / Here lyeth
also the body / of Sarah his wife who died / y 15 day of February 1703 / aged 72
years

[12. Thomsett’s list had the inscription: ‘E. ALCHIN 1812. E.
1826’. but there is now no sign of any stone with this inscription in this
position or anywhere else in the burial ground, and no Alchins appear on the
1870 list for these dates. Was it the footstone to No.29 with incorrect dates?
The spelling of the surname is different however.]

13. To the Memory of / Thomas BAILEY / of Maidstone who departed this Life
/ the 9th of February 1814 Aged 66 years / Also Elizabeth second Wife
of the above who died the [11th?] of December 1810 / Aged [59 Years]
/ [Also Sally Bailey] Wife of / Walter OT[TA]WAY second Daughter / of the above
Thomas [Bailey who died] / the 21st March 1803 [Aged 24] / And Charles Son of
Charles and / Elizabeth JAMES / who died [ .. ] March 1808 Aged 3 Years. (There
follow 12 illegible lines of verse.)

13a. T.B. 1814. E.B. 1810

14. In Memory / of / Stephen FRENCH / of this Parish / who departed this
Life November 17th [1814] / Aged 54 years / Left Issue two Sons and
one Daughter / viz. Elizabeth William & Stephen / Also Elizabeth his Wife /
who died November 8th 1818. / Aged 64 Years.

15. (Right hand panel). Here lyeth ye / Body of
Eliz / abeth ye Wife of / Edward BEDWELL / Senior who / Departed this
/ Life ye 21: of / Febuary 1708 / in ye 77 year / of Her
Age. (Left hand panel). Also / Here lyeth ye Body
of Mr: Edward / Bedwell / who depart’d / this Life the 26th
of October / 1716 in the / 84th Year of / his Age

16. In memory / of Chilley PINE third son of the late / John Pine of Lower
Tovil who died before Sebastopol March the 6th 1855 / and was buried
in the military burial / ground at Balaklava. born June 15th 1810 /
registered at Dr Williams’s Library / having served in Bengal,
China, New Zealand / and New South Wales for many years / He landed with his
Regiment the / 4th Dragoon Guards in the Crimea and was / shortly
after promoted to the chief / surgeoncy of the Fourth, and subsequently / of the
second division of the army, / when he was present at the engagements / of
Balaklava and Inkermann. / He married on the 8th june 1853 / at
Handsworth in the county of Stafford / Agnes Miller GIBSON, eldest daughter of
/James Gibson M.D.. and great grand / daughter of James WATT the engineer / and
left issue an only child Arthur Chilley / born April 20th 1854 and
who was / baptised at the chapel of the Royal Hospital / Kilmainham, May 31st
1854. / having expressed a wish that his remains "might one d[ay rest in
this plac]e" amidst / t[hose of his ancestors] / this st[one was erected to
his memory] / by a sup[ ........ er and brother] / also in mem[ory of
............................ of Otford] / kent, (elder b[rother of the above
Chilley Pine)] / died unmar[ried born 12th ............ 18....]. (The
last 5 lines of this inscription flaked off and fell onto the ground; some of it
was saved in 1992 and reassembled onto a board which is now with the Loose Area
History Society.)

17. Here lie the remains / of / Rebecca WOOD. widow of / John Wood of
Cranbrook. amd formerly / widow of Christopher CARBERRY. / who died Febry
21st 1827. aged 76 years. / leaving issue only by her first /
marriage one daughter (viz) Rebecca. / the wife of John Pine of Tovil.

18. In Memory / of / Ann PINE, third daughter of / the late John Pine of
Tovil / who died the 13th of February 1826 / aged 21 years. / also of
/ Elizabeth Jane Pine, / eldest daughter of / Benjamin Chilley Pine / of
Maidstone, who died 31st august / 1826 aged 16 years. / "The
wintry blast of death," / "kills not the buds of virtue; no, they
spread," / "beneath the heavens beam, of brighter suns." /
"through endless ages, into higher powers."

18a. A P 1826, E P 1826

19. In / Memory of / Benjamin Chilley PINE / who died September 12th
1827 / Aged 49 Years

22. [Thomsett mistakenly allocated this number to the second half of
stone No.21.]

23. The Revd / John WICHE / died April 7 1794 / Aged 76 Years /
He was a teacher of Youth and Pastor / of the General Baptist Church at /
Maidstone for near Half a Century / Also Elizabeth Wiche his Daughter / Born Janry
24th 1761. died July 3rd 1778 / Aged Seventeen Years. /
Also Jane his youngest Daughter / who died July 31st 1822 / Aged 58
Years.

24. Thomas Jordan PINE / Born Octbr 9th 1733 / Died
Decbr 17th 1805 / Aged 72 Years. / Pure religion and
undefiled befor[e God] / and the Father is this to visit the Fat[herless] / and
widows in their affliction and t[o keep] / oneself unspotted from the worl[d] /
Also Thomas Pine Son o[f] / the late John Pine of Tov[il] / Born Septr
2nd 1808. / Died Novr 20th 1833. Aged 25 Years.

24a. T J P. 1805

25. Sacred to the Memory of / Stephen BEECHING / Departed this Life the 7th
June 1791. / Aged 32 Years.

26. To the Memory of / John BEECHING / Late of Maidstone died October 6th
1810. / Aged 47 Years. / Issue One Son & Two Daughters / Also Mary / Wife of
the above John Beeching / who departed this Life the 4thMarch / 1826
Aged 62 Years /
Near this Place are also deposited the remains / of eleven Infant Children of
the above / John Beeching and Mary his Wife.

27. Sacred / to the Memory of Samuel DAWSON / who died Decr 23rd
/ 1785 Aged 24 Years / Also Elizabeth Dawson / who died Octr 23rd
1786 Aged 26 Years / Likewise Thomas Dawson / who died Jany 13th
1789 Aged 40 Years / Also Elizabeth Wife of the Revd J Dawson who
died / November 12th 1815 Aged 51 Years / Sons and Daughtrs of / Mr
Isaac Dawson / Likewise the above Revd Joseph Dawson / Son of the
aforesaid Mr Isaac Dawson / who departed the Life October the [ .. ]
/ 1825 Aged 66 Years

27a. S.D. 1785

28. In Memory of / Mary Wife of WIllm BOORNE / who departed
this Life May the 22nd / 1774 Aged 63 Years / Redeeming grace
Electing love / Her theme below Her song above / Also Elizabeth Boorne second /
Wife of the above William Boorne / who departed this Life December / the 9th
1825 Aged 94 Years

29. In Memory of / Elizabeth Wife of / Richard ALLCHIN of Maidstone / who
was born August 27th 1779 / died April 19th 1815 / Leaving
Issue one Daughter Elizabeth / For many years she labored incessantly / for the
welfare of others and long previously / to her Death was almost precluded / from
every enjoyment herself. Doubtless / there is a future state in which suffering
/ Virtue will be amply recompenced. / Also in Memory of / the said Richard
Allchin who died / June 30th 1842 Aged 71 Years / Also of Elizabeth
their Daughter / who died Sept 29th 1828 Aged 20 Years /
He was ditinguished by his intelligence and / [ ............................ ]
amiable daughter
[ ........... ] the patient / [ ........... ] of [ ................ ] / [
........................................] / [ .................................
]

30. Here lieth the Body of / Mrs Eliz LAW Relict / of Mr
John Law Junr / late of Faversham Dec / who departed this Life / ye
22d of Feb 1741 / Aged 44

31. In Memory of / Mary Wife of Thomas ATKINS / who died 26th
of May 1797. / Aged 34 Years. / Also two children died in their Infancy / Left
Issue one Daughter Sally. / Also the ab[ove n]amed Sally Atkins died t[he] 30]th
March 1798. / Aged 3 Years and 8 Months.

35. Sacred to the Memory of / Samuel EDMETT who died Jan / the 15th
1786 Aged 58 Years / Also Sarah his Wife died May the 17th 1781 Aged
47 Years / Elizh their Daught died Septr 22d
1783 Aged 9 Years / GEORGE their Son died 27th Aged 6 Years / Also
Sarah their Daught died Febry / the 16th 1792,
Aged 20 Years / Also Esther their Daughter died /January the 27th
1801, Aged 21 Years / Also Mary their Daughter who died / the 19th of
June 1833 Aged 61 Years

35a. (Footstone standing against headstone, badly flaked.) S E

36. To the Memory of / Willm Son of Willm & Ann
EDMETT / who died March 6th 1806. Aged 7 Months / also Esther their
daughter who died May / 23rd 1808 Aged 4 Years 9 Months / also Samuel
their Son who died Octr
[25th] / 1810 Aged 12 Months / also William their Son who died Octr
[16th] / 1815 Aged 8 Years & 8 Months

38. In Memory of Eliz / Wife of Benjamin KNOWLDEN / who died
July 7th 1762 / Aged 33 Years / Also two Children died in their
Infancy. / Left Surviving one Son and four Daughs. / Willm
Mary Elizah Martha and Sarah. / Also Mary Knowlden died / Febry
29th 1774 Aged 21 Years. / Likewise the Said Benjamin Knowlden / who
died Novembr the 8th 1776 Aged 50 Years / Also Anna his
Daughtr by Anna his Second / Wife died Octbr 20th
1779 Aged 14 Years

39. In Memory / of Elizabeth the / Dearly beloved Wife of / John FAULKNER
of East- / Farleigh who Lived together / in love and Unity 46 Years / She died
April [ ... ] 1765 / Aged 75 Years / Also John Faulkner died / Febry
8th 1772 Aged 77 Years

40. In Memory of / George BENTLIF. / born Feby 11. 1779. died
Feby 4. 1824. / and Sarah. his wife / born May 7. 1783. died Novr
30. 1871. / Also in remembrance / of their deceased children.- / Thomas. Born
Septr 20. 1807. died April 26. 1830. / William. born March 20. 1809.
died Augt 1. 1842. / (interred at st. mary’s Bermondsey.) / Emily.
wife of George BOOTH / born Feby 27. 1821. died septr 22.
1847. / Henry. born Octr 12. 1810. died Decr 2. 1847. /
Alfred. Born Feby 25. 1823. died Feby 23. 1855. / and
Mary-Anne. who died in infancy. / This memorial was erected in 1872. / by the
surviving children of the above / George & Sarah bentlif. / viz George Amatt
Eliza Sarah Caroline. / Mary-Anne and Samuel. / (On rear of stone)
Further records of burial / on granite monument / over vault / in maidstone
cemetery. (Stone coffin has G B 1821 on its end.)

42. Sacred / to the memory / Emily ELGAR Daughter of / William & Mary
Elgar / of this Parish / died August 11th 1808 / Aged 2 Years 6 Weeks
& 5 Days / Also William Elgar Son of the above named William & Mary
Elgar / died Septr 27th 1810. / Aged 10 Years 7 Months
& 22 Days / Also of the above Named / Mary Elgar / died April 1st
1813 Aged 37 Years. (Stone coffin has W E on its broken-off end.)

43. In Memory of / Thos ELGAR Junior (Late) of Maidstone / he
Departed this Life December ye 26th 1755 / Aged 27 Years /
Here also lieth the Body of Thos Elgar / Senior he Departed this Life
August ye 3d 1763 / Aged 71 Years / Left Issue 3 Sons, 2
Daughters. (Stone coffin has E.E. 1808 on its end.)

44. Here Lyeth the Body of / Mr / Thos Mercer / Late
of Maidstone / who Departed this Life / the 22 of July 1744 / Aged 41 Years /
Also Here Lyeth the Body of / Mrs Sarah Late Wife / to the above said
Mr Thos Mercer / who Departed this Life / the 19 of April
1752 / Aged 49 Years

45. Here Lieth the Body of / Joseph Mercer / Formerly of Sedlescombe / in
Sussex and Late of / Maidstone in this County / who Departed this Life / ye
7th Day of February / 1737 / Aged 78 Years / [Thin]k Seriously on
Death / [ ....... ] and Eternity

46. In Memory / OF / Alice / Wife of James WIDGEON / who departed this
Life March 5th 1819 / Aged 61 Years. / Likewise James Widgeon /
Husband of the above (Late of Sheerness) / who departed this Life the 14th
of August / 1830 Aged 75 Years / Also Charles Widgeon HAYWARD / Grandson of the
above / who died August 19th 1856 / Aged 41 Years (Stone coffin
has A.W. 1819 on its end.)

47. (Top of table tomb) Here rest the remains of /
Israel LEWIS of Hampstead / who died decr 28th 1820, aged
72. / Robert Lewis / of Longcroft near Ttring, / who died Sept 13th
1827 aged 67. / Mrs Elizabeth Storke / COOPER / who died July 28th
1818 aged 75. / and their nephew / James Cooper / who died May 24th
1820 aged 27. / Also in memory of / Lewis Cooper, / who quitted this world / on
the 28th day of October, / in the year 1842. / at the age of 66. /
and of Matilda his wife, / who died at Hampstead, / on June 17th 1854
aged 73. / Likewise of Emily Cooper, / their daughter / who died Septr 10th
1877 aged 75.

54a. (Footstone may belong to No. 54, but only the top is visible;
inscription is below ground.)

55. In Memory of / Harriot / Daughter of Edward and / Mary PINE of Otham:
/ who died November 19th 1798 / Aged 28 Years. / Her life tho painful
was to others dear. / Her early death has left a loss severe. / Also Sarah their
daughter died / May 14th 1804. Aged 28 Years. / She too alas from
friends is torn away / To join her valu’d sister’s mould’ring clay; / The
selfsame gloomy path her feet have trod / While we for both lament they rest in
peace with God.

55a/b. (Tops only of two footstones are visible, side by side;
inscriptions are below ground.)56. In Memory / OF / Ann wife of John TURNER / who Departed this
Life / March the 14th 1803. / Aged 65 Years.

57. Sacred / To the Memory of / Elizabeth Wife of Samuel CORNFORD / of
this Parish / who departed this Life March 28th 1810 / Aged 40 Years
/ Also Sarah their Daur died Feby 7th 1802 /
Aged 2 Years / Edward their Son died Octr 13th 1810 / Aged
5 Years / And 2 Sons Twins viz: Benjamin / & Joseph died in their Infancy /
Also Sarah / Daughter of the above named / Elizabeth Cornford / and the beloved
Wife of / John WOOD of Maidstone / died Jany 21st 1868
Aged 61 Years / They rest from their labours / Also John Wood / Husband of the
above / who died January 14th 1880 / in the 75th Year of
his Age / In God have I put my trust.

58. To the Memory / OF / Rebecca Wife of Robrt DAWSON / Who
Departed this Life March 24th / 1803, Aged 63 Years. / Wife so lovely
to my Soul was and is knit. / Time must end with me before I her forget.

63 (This inscription is one of the most significant in the burial ground, but
is difficult to read not only because it is faint, but because it is in Greek
and Latin as well as English. The Greek has not been attempted here, and both
the Latin and English sections are incomplete – and the Latin seems not to
agree with the English!)

Here lieth the body of Joseph WRIGHT / late of Maidstone who departed this /
life the 14th May Anno Domini 1703 / aged 78 years

64. (Large slab presently covered with moss; some elements of the
inscription were recorded by Oldborough Manor pupils in 1992, and these together
with the date of death and age from the 1870 list, plus some guesswork, have
been used to produce this less than complete version.)
[Here lieth the Body of] Thos / PENWALL of [ ............... ] grocer
/ who Departed this Life in / [ .......... ] Oc[tr .......... ] /
Anno Domini [1705 Aged 42 Years]

65. (Large slab presently covered with moss; it may or may not
have an inscription.)

This website is constructed by enthusiastic
amateurs. Any errors noticed by other researchers will be to gratefully
received so
that we can amend our pages to give as accurate a record as possible. Please
send details too research@kentarchaeology.org.uk